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A Day in the Life of an Account Manager at Search Influence

With all of the great positions available at Search Influence, it’s easy to wonder what each department or each position does every day. Earlier this week, I took to Search Influence’s Twitter to break down what my day-to-day as an Account Manager looks like. Though each day is different, they all share a common theme: client communication, meetings, and managing my team.

Responding to Client Questions

Mornings always consist of answering emails. Each person on the Account Management team has clients from across all industries and locations, all of which communicate with us primarily through email and phone. I like to take the mornings to open up all emails, check for emergencies, and answer any questions our clients may have. It’s great to know that our clients are getting reliable customer service, as we strive to answer all requests within a 24-hour span.

One of my favorite aspects of being an Account Manager is getting to work with clients from all industries. On a daily basis, I talk to everyone from a plastic surgeon to a mortuary cooler provider! Our client rapport is incredibly diverse.

Our Morning Whiteboard Meetings

Every morning at 9:30, the entire Account Management Team meets by our whiteboard to go over metrics and tasks for the day. We also use this time for giving other members of the team “kudos” for being CHARGED.

Paid Search Meeting

On Tuesdays, members from all departments meet to talk about our paid search, or PPC, clients. This meeting is a great way to discuss successes as well as potential roadblocks in our campaigns.

Managing Your Team: Weekly 1-on-1 Meetings

The biggest difference when you are promoted from an only client-facing position to a management position is managing your team. One of the best things about being in a management position at Search Influence is being able to work closely with my team and watch their careers grow.

In order to stay up-to-date with my team, their clients and any questions they have, we have weekly 1-on-1 meetings. This hour-long meeting is a dedicated time for my team to ask any client or career-related questions, as well as a time for me to follow up with any projects that are pending or in progress. This time isn’t specific to the Account Management position either—all departments at Search Influence have these dedicated 1-on-1 times!

Other management duties consist of leading employee reviews at the 6-month and annual mark and reviewing my team’s tasks/projects.

Wrapping Up Big Projects

After lunch, I typically dedicate my time to working on big projects. These can be client-related, internal, or team-related. I’m most productive in the afternoon, so this is the time that works best for me, but it’s different for all members of the Account Management team.

The project that I am most recently working on consists of revamping the presentation deck that we use when we kick off a new client. It was a great opportunity, and I’m so excited to see this project through!

My Account Management Career

Search Influence has been a great career experience so far within my almost three years here. Because I was hired fresh out of college (Geaux LSU!), I’ve worked my way up from Junior Account Associate to the management position I hold now. I’m thankful for the opportunity I’ve been given and would encourage anyone looking for a client-facing role to apply!

October 18, 2016
Search Influence Adds 8 New Employees

This past month, Search Influence was named a Best Place to Work by New Orleans CityBusiness. As a two-time nominee, we can say with certainty that the key to creating a great work environment is hiring smart people who embody our core values: collaborative, hungry, agile, reliable, genuine, effective, and dedicated. These eight new Influencers are no exception and were thrilled to join our team in September.

Ann Wanserski

Ann arrived in New Orleans a year and a half ago by way of Chicago, IL, where she earned a dual degree in journalism and anthropology from Loyola University Chicago. She found a passion for marketing (and pizza) while working for a restaurant startup in Chicago, and she most recently served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with a local nonprofit. In her free time, she enjoys biking around the potholes of NOLA, attempting to garden, and adding to her rock collection.

Amy McIntosh

Originally from Atlanta, GA, Amy graduated from Georgia State with a degree in Art History and minor in Marketing. She moved to Louisiana over three years ago, where she worked in outside sales in Houma, before relocating to New Orleans. Amy is a self-professed dog lover, and in her spare time, she enjoys learning about the English Monarchy.

Joel Willson

Meet Joel. He is from Baton Rouge and is the father of three boys. He loves music and anything tech. Joel regularly performs as a singer/songwriter and with his band, Minos the Saint.

Roane Babington

As a New Orleans native, Roane is happy to come home after being away for 22 years. He has spent the last two years in New York City working as a sales executive at two different tech companies. Prior to NYC, he went to James Madison University in Virginia where he studied history and education and played football. In his free time, Roane likes to cook and go on runs when the weather is nice.

Rosalie Nolan

Rosalie (or Rosie for short) is from Jackson, MS, and moved to New Orleans in 2013 after graduating from Millsaps College. She earned a B.A. in Communication Studies with a minor in English. She spent one year as a Corps Member for City Year New Orleans and two years teaching Kindergarten and 1st grade at Firstline Schools before joining the Search Influence team. Three of her most favorite things are her Calico cat (Piper), peanut butter, and naps.

Sabian LaGarde

As part of Search Influence’s commitment to YouthForce NOLA, a program that helps match students with local businesses to offer real world work experience, we have welcomed Sabian LaGarde to our team this fall. Sabian is a senior at Sophie B Wright Charter School, where he is part of both the track and robotics team. He wanted to intern at Search Influence to learn more about online marketing. After high school, he plans to attend Tulane, Loyola, or LSU on his way to becoming a doctor.

Sam Merritt

Born in Lubbock, TX, and raised in Batesville, AR, Sam relocated to New Orleans in August of 2015, after graduating from the University of Central Arkansas in May of 2015. Before working at Search Influence, Sam worked as a booking agent for a talent and modeling agency where he worked on a number of feature films, television shows, and national commercials. Sam is a pop culture junkie and foodie, and enjoys anything outdoors.

Trace Allen

Trace is from Vacherie, LA, and earned a B.S. in Psychology with a Sociology minor from Mississippi College in May 2015. After graduating from MC, Trace spent a year in Portland, OR, working with the Portland Leadership Foundation, where he was able to work directly with local nonprofits, mentor local coaches and student athletes, and a lead a humanitarian trip to work with orphans and vulnerable children in Jinja, Uganda. Trace is a lover of 90’s R&B and Hip-Hop, bachata dancing, traveling, and all things related to sports.

Welcome aboard!

October 11, 2016
Here Are Our Top 5 Blogs From September

Another month, another top five blogs from Search Influence! All of these posts are chock-full of information that will help you keep your website in tip-top shape and give you some insight into life at Search Influence. Subscribe to our blog to stay up to date on what’s going on in the world of SEO and Search Influence.

#5: How Google Possum Has Affected 3 Pack: A Before and After Review

Google’s newest update has had some drastic effects on the search results 3 pack. Amy Arnold gives us the lowdown on some listings that are pretending to be dead.

Look at that beautiful Google update devouring those listings.

#4: What Happened to Facebook’s 20% Text Grid Tool?

Michelle Neuhoff Boyd is back at it again this month and refuses to leave the top five standings. Whether you’re a Facebook fiend or a business taking advantage of the social platform, this blog entry has mountains of information about the inner workings of the Social Media giant.

#3: Happy Working Parents Day: 10 Influencers on Lessons From Their Working Parents

To celebrate National Working Parent’s Day, Mary Silva whipped up a heartfelt blog post complete with written and video interviews of some of our employees. Tears may be shed by the time you reach the end of the video, so be sure to have that tissue box ready.

#2: Search Influence Adds 3 New Hires in August

Search Influence added three more employees in August and a lot of people were interested. Learn more about our new team members in this post compiled by Melissa Verzwyvelt.

#1: Barnacle SEO – Local Search Engine Optimization for the Sam’s Club Crowd

Last but not least, Mr. Barnacle SEO himself, Will Scott, saw a massive resurgence in popularity of his blog where he coined the industry changing term. Take a gander at this super informative blog.

While you’re at it, follow our blog to get the latest updates from Search Influence.

October 7, 2016
New Orleans Nonprofit Spotlight: Rebuilding Together’s Annual October Build

October is one of my favorite times of year. Reason 1: It’s the beginning of fall (though only a mild change from the normal New Orleans heat). Reason 2: It’s Halloween-month, of course. And reason 3: I get to take part in Rebuilding Together New Orleans‘s October Build.

About Rebuilding Together New Orleans and October Build

October Build is an annual event organized by Rebuilding Together New Orleans (RTNO), a New Orleans Preservation Resource Center program and chapter of the national Rebuilding Together organization. They’ve worked since 1988 to help local elderly, disabled, veteran, and single head of household homeowners repair their homes. RTNO services seven neighborhoods in New Orleans year round.

Check out my original post for Rebuilding Together New Orleans’ 25th Annual October Build to learn more about the history of the organization and the event.

Getting Ready for October Build 2016

For two weekends, I take a brief respite from my somewhat sedentary lifestyle, and join hundreds of volunteers in providing necessary home repairs to local homeowners who otherwise are unable to do it themselves.

What’s more, this year a few other Search Influence employees and I started work early! While October Build takes place October 7, 8, 14, and 15, we were able to help prep Mr. Ernest Watson’s house this past weekend for volunteers to finish during October Build. We met up at 8:30 AM on-site and worked with Rebuilding Together’s own Americorps and employees to scrape paint and prime the Bywater house. While I’m by no means a skilled laborer, RT’s members also worked on replacing fascia and siding that had been damaged by fire or was rotting.

*Fun fact: Fascia are the bands of boards directly under the roof edge.

Employees at Rebuilding Together New Orleans have been working tirelessly for months to coordinate volunteers and houses for October Build. This past weekend was just one of the many pieces of prep necessary to get these houses ready for volunteers of all skill levels.

Next weekend and the one after, these volunteers from sponsor organizations, local businesses, and other local & national groups will gather to finish repairs on 8 different houses. The work will range from scraping and painting to flooring installation and accessibility ramp building in one huge community effort.

For more information about this year’s event, check out RTNO’s own October Build 2016 news post. Here, you’ll find stories about the homeowners they’re helping (including Mr. Watson’s) and how you can contribute!

Rebuilding Together New Orleans Images Credit

October 6, 2016
Like Our Facebook Page and Help a Worthy Cause

Here’s Your Chance to Help a Worthy Cause

For the fourth straight year, Search Influence is proud to be promoting breast cancer awareness through a unique initiative it calls “Likes for Lives.” The ask is simple: for each new “like” the Search Influence Facebook page receives between October 1 and 31, the company will donate $1.00 to the Breastoration Fund. Created by three breast cancer survivors, Breastoration provides educational resources and financial assistance to women seeking breast reconstruction after breast cancer.

Search Influence offers the “Likes for Lives” program to its clients and partners, including elective surgery practices that wish to increase awareness of their services and commitment to the cause. In an early example, in 2011, Search Influence client Donaldson Plastic Surgery gained 332 fans during the month of October to support its charity of choice, the Stefanie Spielman Fund in Ohio. The practice rounded up its donation, giving the breast cancer research fund $500.

“We saw the program succeed with our clients, so we thought it was appropriate to implement it ourselves and raise some money for a good cause,” Search Influence CEO Will Scott said. “Since we are a primarily female organization, including some women who have been touched by breast cancer in their families, the Breastoration Fund’s mission resonates with us.” Since 2013, Search Influence has donated $5,000 to help fight breast cancer.

This year, the goal is 700 new likes. To kick off the “Likes for Lives” campaign and to increase awareness of breast cancer, team members wore pink today. We encourage other NOLA tech companies to do the same.

So what are you waiting for? Like the Search Influence Facebook page. Share it with your friends and family, and ask them to like it, too. Let’s exceed the goal this year!

October 4, 2016
Search Influence Jobs: What Does an Internet Marketing Associate Do?

As Search Influence continues to grow, we often get asked by job applicants, “What exactly does an Internet Marketing Associate do?” So last week, I took over the Search Influence Twitter and shared my day with all of our followers. In short, being an Internet Marketing Associate on Content Team consists of a whole lot of reading, a fair amount of writing, and lots of laughter. Here’s a recap.

Our Morning Meeting

The meeting starts off sedately enough, with a breakdown of the number of tasks due for the week and for the day, as well as yesterday’s achievements. After announcements, and an overview of current projects if it’s “Tuesday Touch-Day,” it’s time for Word of the Day. Each team member takes turns presenting an interesting word to the team, and we have until the next morning meeting to submit a sentence containing that word. The word’s presenter chooses their favorite sentence, and that sentence-writer is the daily winner. The person who wins the most sentences during the month gets to wear a sparkly gold Word Wizard cape for the next month. (And yes, I won for Monday’s word and am now in the lead for the cape.)

My Annual Review

Monday was a particularly interesting day for me, since it was my work-iversary! I had completed one year at Search Influence, and after my star ceremony, when a star is added to our name banner to mark another year, it was time for my annual review. I’ve heard rumors that at other companies this is a super scary thing. But not at Search Influence. That’s because once a week, every team member meets with their manager and talks about their workload and performance. By the time reviews roll around, there are no surprises.

The Workload

Once my review was over, it was time to begin my daily workload. Content Team works with all the words that are part of an SEO or Social Media campaign. We edit website content, blogs, and social media posts all day, and write video scripts, sponsored articles, and paid ads. I work a lot on what we call ‘high-touch’ deliverables—things that require a bit more knowledge and time to complete. This includes product descriptions, LinkedIn social media campaigns, PPC ad copy, image optimizations, and site audits. My favorite, by far, is the site audit.

Site audits are the most technically oriented pieces of content we edit. A member of the Tech Team (our IMA cousins) goes through every aspect of a website and checks for things like canonicalization errors, coding issues that could confuse search engine crawlers, and site load speed. They then make recommendations on how issues can be fixed. It’s my job to go through these recommendations and clean them up, taking care of any grammatical errors, as well as reworking some sentences so they’re more clear to someone who has no idea what ‘canonicalization’ means. Site audits can be 40 pages long, so it takes a good bit of focus, but I absolutely love learning about the techy underbelly of SEO.

Our Afternoon Check-In

After my site audit was all sorted out, it was time for my favorite part of the day—the afternoon check-in! When 2:30 strikes, it’s time to take a break, chat with the team, and just get re-pumped for content. We discuss how many tasks we have left for the day, but we also discuss anything weird or interesting people learned over the course of their editing. One time, we started talking about a pig that was a witness during a witch trial, and our manager started crying she was laughing so hard. We also do some group stretching, since one of our fun facts that wasn’t so fun was about how sitting around at a desk all day can kill you. Doing a bit of office yoga makes us all feel more relaxed and less likely to have our muscles solidify in a sitting position.

Winding Down

With a pretty hectic morning, I was glad for a “more of the same” kind of afternoon. I edited some tasks, which helped to clear out the team bucket (the list of all the tasks on the team for the day). When you’ve got a robust workload, it’s surprising how fast the day goes by.

Before I knew it, it was 5 o’clock. If it was Friday, it would have ended with “This is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan blasting from someone’s computer. Since it was only Monday though, the denouement was more casual, with a chorus of “bye, y’all’s” echoing around the office. Friendly place, New Orleans. Speaking of, if you live in New Orleans or want an excuse to move here (and who doesn’t?), and you read and write English (or French or Spanish), you really should apply to join Content Team. With every day being as fun as this one, it’s sure to be a career, you won’t forget.

September 29, 2016
Search Influence Reviews: Here Are 4 NOLA Restaurants Where 2 Can Dine for Under $50

With over 1,400 restaurants to choose from, deciding where to dine in New Orleans is no small feat. With tempting options from world-famous chefs like Alon Shaya, John Besh, and Emeril Lagasse, deciding where you can afford to dine in New Orleans can be a challenge as well. There are workarounds—you can stalk Groupon discounts, eat exclusively at happy hours, or skip the entree and only buy appetizers, drinks, and dessert. However, sometimes you just have to know where to go. Here are four great restaurants around the Crescent City where two people can dine for under $50—tax and tip included.

#1: St. Roch Market

Located in the Bywater, St. Roch Market was originally built in 1875 as a neighborhood open-air market. In 2015, it was refurbished after destruction by Katrina and 10 years of abandonment. The new market features an airy, black and white interior, complete with stately columns and stalls for 13 local vendors. This bustling locale combines the convenience and variety of a food court with the atmosphere and quality food of fine dining.

The wide array of dishes and vendors provides an endless combination of foods and prices, but a few favorites are the Dirty Mac ‘n Cheese from Dirty Dishes—creamy smoked gouda mac and cheese with crawfish tails and tasso—and Nola Trio from Fete Au Fete—a combo platter featuring Crawfish poutine, red beans and rice, and shrimp and grits. Together, these dishes come to $25.63, leaving the other half of your budget free for cocktails or craft beers at the Mayhaw Bar.

#2: The Rum House

In a restaurant-packed corner of the Garden District, The Rum House stands out from the competition with its laid-back Caribbean atmosphere. Its colorful, outdoor picnic tables are packed at any hour of the afternoon or evening, and it lives up to its name by offering varieties of rum from over 20 countries.

While it can be tempting to split an enormous plate of Damn Good Nachos ($13.95) and spend the rest of your $50 on adorable margaritas served in mason jars, tacos are the true pride of The Rum House. Order several a la carte ($3.95–$4.25 each) or go for the Taco Trifecta, a combo platter featuring three tacos and a side. One great combination is the Brisket taco, the Lamb Vindaloo taco, and the vegetarian Rasta taco with a side of Coconut Mango Rice—$17.64 with tax and tip.

#3: Parkway Bakery & Tavern

Located in Mid City, overlooking Bayou St. John, Parkway Bakery & Tavern serves some of the best po’boys in the city—just ask President Obama! The restaurant opened in 1911 as Parkway Bakery and started making their signature dish in 1929 to feed factory workers at the American Can Company across the bayou. Now, the walls are decorated with almost 100 years of NOLA paraphernalia, including framed newspapers, local high school banners, and historic political signs.

Parkway offers po’boys in two sizes: small ($3.65–$9.70) and large ($4.95–$13.55). While you can order the traditional lunchmeat options, seafood is the undeniable way to go. Keep it classic with fried shrimp or oysters dipped in remoulade sauce from the sauce bar. If you’re feeling ambitious, go all in for the Surf and Turf—slow cooked roast beef topped with golden fried shrimp and gravy. Either way, two can eat lunch or dinner for well under your $50 budget.

#4: Cochon Butcher

Next door to award-winning Cochon in the CBD is Cochon Butcher, a combination butcher shop, sandwich counter, and wine bar. This niche restaurant offers a less expensive, more casual, and equally delicious opportunity to enjoy Cochon’s culinary creations. Providing all the charm and freshness of the rapidly disappearing neighborhood butcher, it also offers house meats and sausages sold by the pound.

All of Cochon Butcher’s sandwiches sell for $10–$12 before tax, but two delicious suggestions include Cochon Muffaletta—a twist on the classic Louisiana sandwich, featuring house meats—and the Pork Belly sandwich—complete with mint and cucumber on white bread. One sandwich each leaves plenty of your budget to use on local Louisiana beers, like the classic Abita Amber, Parish Brewing Envie Pale Ale, or Great Raft Reasonably Corrupt Black Lager.

Of course, these are just a few of the delicious and affordable restaurants that New Orleans has to offer. For further eating, check out Cowbell in Carrollton, Casa Borrega in Central City, or just wander down your street and see what tasty locations you can find!

Image 1 Credit | Image 2 Credit

August 15, 2016
Two New Hires Join Search Influence

Kayla Fletcher and Mildred Padilla recently joined our team at Search Influence.

Kayla Fletcher

Kayla is our newest Junior Internet Marketing Assistant. Born and raised in New Orleans, she is currently a senior at the University of New Orleans, studying English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Prior to Search Influence, she worked at Barnes and Noble and spent most of her time in the children’s department. Kayla enjoys running, reading novels and comic books, watching movies until she falls asleep, and listening to Prince really loud when she’s home alone. Kayla is also into cars, and she wants to learn how to drift someday.

Mildred Padilla

Mildred is delighted to join the Operations Team as the new Search Influence Product Manager. After graduating from Loyola University New Orleans, she went on to work as a Product Manager at Warner Brothers in the United Kingdom and then at Google Android in Silicon Valley. She is also an avid film fan. Upon her return to New Orleans last year, she worked on over a dozen TV shows and movies filmed locally as a featured background actor. Her last role this summer was as a nurse on the upcoming Wolverine 3 film.

Welcome aboard, Kayla and Mildred.

August 12, 2016
Top 5 Search Influence Blogs from July 2016

If you are like many of us at Search Influence, you took a few days off last month to enjoy the summertime. Now that August is here, you may have a few minutes to catch up on your reading. Here are our top five most read blogs from July.

1: Search Influence Reviews: Here Are 5 of the Best Bars We Visit After a Long Day at Work

Our team members enjoy grabbing a nice cold one after a long day at work! Check out our top five list of local bars—each with a wide selection of beers and delicious bar food in venues only New Orleans can provide.

2: What Happened to Facebook’s 20% Text Grid Tool?

Facebook officially rolled out this new update to the 20% text rule in June. Read about it and how it affects Facebook ads in this updated blog.

3: Learn How to Create a Snapchat On-Demand Geofilter to Boost Your Next Event

Snapchat launched the ability for users to create On-Demand Geofilters for birthday parties, weddings, business events, or just for fun! Learn how easy it is to submit the filter along with some key metrics to gauge your filter’s success.

4: 12 Things You May Not Know About Online Marketing

New to online marketing? Here are 12 things that surprised some of our team members when they started working at Search Influence.

5: 10 SEO Blogs You Should Be Following

Every day, we see traditional marketing grow more obsolete. Learn about 10 of the most informative and essential SEO blogs you should be following.

August 4, 2016
Search Influence Reviews: Here Are 5 of the Best Bars We Visit After a Long Day at Work

Sometimes it takes having a drink in hand to start the weekend off right, but it helps to know the best places first. Luckily, we have a few pretty good ideas on where to go to eat, cut loose, and relax after a long week at work.

Erin Rose

There’s an Irish pub near a corner of Bourbon Street where you can get a decent poboy for cheap, or a surprisingly tempting grilled cheese sandwich instead. Top off one of these treats with a frozen Irish coffee to get you through the night or a Bloody Mary to help you recover in the morning, and you’re ready to have some fun! Erin Rose also has the benefit of getting you into the French Quarter without having to deal with the brunt of ‘enthusiastic’ tourists that perpetually travel down the road.

Cajun Mike’s Pub & Grill

Cajun Mike’s is that hole-in-the-wall perfect for the end of a Friday, especially when you can trust the bartender to take your order and remember you when you come by again. There’s nothing like good old-fashioned bar food and drinks at a price that you won’t hate yourself for in the morning. Well, you won’t hate yourself as much anyways.

Spitfire

If you tend to haunt New Orleans bars regularly, but the name doesn’t sound familiar, it might be because you knew the place by a different name and under different owners. But whether it was the Whirling Dervish, or the Blue Crystal, nothing can stop Spitfire from being a great place for a good time close to the heart of the French Quarter. Feel free to stop by on Wednesdays for free burlesque dancing!

Moxy

Associated with the Marriott, hotel bars like Moxy have been popping up across the nation to offer people quality food, drink, and a hotel room right above the bar. The hangout itself has board games, inspirational and trivia books, and an array of unique and interesting foods (ever heard of a pizza on pita bread?). Now, that being said, everything from the food and drink to the hotel rooms are on the pricey side, so it’s not really a place to go check out more than once every so often.

Carrollton Station

And, of course, there’s Carrollton Station. This place isn’t really as convenient to get to anymore, but we still make our way to this truly awesome place to eat, drink, and be merry (or Pippin). Some nights, they have live music or an open mic night, though the quiet patio in the back is always open to those just looking to relax.

No matter where you tend to hang out at after the workweek comes to an end, it’s all about how the place appeals to each person that matters most. As always, when enjoying yourself, stay safe and don’t drink and drive.

Instagram Image Credit

July 21, 2016